Diamonds, Gemstones, Precious Metals & More
A brief overview & EDUCATION
Diamonds
The 4 Cs of Diamonds
Carat weight measures a diamond’s weight and size. Because large diamonds are rare, they generally have a greater value per carat.
A diamond’s clarity is affected by any external and internal characteristics created by nature when the diamond was formed or as a result of the cutting process.
While the most popular diamonds are colorless, diamonds come in every color of the spectrum. Diamond color grades are determined by professionals under ideal circumstances, a situation seldom duplicated outside of a laboratory. Choose a diamond based on its appeal to you, rather than on a technical color scale.
Each diamond is cut to very exacting standards. The cut is one of the most important quality factors of a diamond, as it affects the diamond’s optical and physical properties, like brilliance – how a diamond reflects light.
Guide to Diamond Shapes
Diamonds and gemstones are cut into many different shapes, each with their own aesthetic and cutting requirements. While diamond and gem shapes are sometimes referred to as the cut (for example an emerald-cut diamond), the cut refers to how a jeweler cuts the gemstone to achieve its symmetry and proportion.
Most people are familiar with the round solitaire diamond and common “fancy” shapes — which refer to a gemstone cut in any shape other than round. Fancy cuts include such shapes as baguette, emerald, triangle, pear, princess, oval and marquis.
Gemstones
Gemstones
Gemstones are any of various minerals highly prized for beauty, durability, and rarity. A few noncrystalline materials of organic origin (e.g., pearl, red coral, and amber) also are classified as gemstones. Gemstones have attracted humankind since ancient times, and have long been used for jewelry. The prime requisite for a gem is that it must be beautiful. The beauty may lie in colour or lack of colour; in the latter case, extreme limpidity and “fire” may provide the attraction. Iridescence, opalescence, asterism (the exhibition of a star-shaped figure in reflected light), chatoyance (the exhibition of a changeable lustre and a narrow, undulating band of white light), pattern, and lustre are other features that may make a gemstone beautiful. A gem must also be durable, if the stone is to retain the polish applied to it and withstand the wear and tear of constant handling.
Birthstones
Birthstones have become very popular for gift-givers and gem-lovers for their dazzling array of colors and the personal sentiment they can represent. In the modern tradition, there are one to three gemstones representing every birth month of the year, each with its own history and legends behind it. Birthstones can usually be found adorning rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, allowing the wearer to celebrate their special day on any occasion.
January
GARNETGarnet
Garnet comes from the Latin word granatus, meaning grain. Garnet is mostly mined in Southeast Asia, Brazil, and Africa. Occurring in every color except blue, the garnet is a versatile stone, appropriate for a multitude of applications and occasions.
February
AMETHYSTAmethyst
A variety of quartz often used in jewelry, and was thought by the ancient Greeks to protect the owner from drunkenness, and even went so far as to carve drinking vessels from the stone.
March
AQUAMARINEAquamarine
Aquamarine, from Latin “aqua marina” or “water of the sea”, was named because of its blue or turquoise color. In the U.S., Aquamarine can be found in central Colorado and Wyoming.
April
DIAMONDDiamond
The word Diamond comes from the Greek word adamas, meaning unbreakable, or unalterable. Diamonds are composed of a single element, and are the purest of all the gemstones. The Diamond is the ultimate symbol of love, and is said to symbolize strength, and enhance relationships.
May
EMERALDEmerald
Emeralds can range in color from light to dark green. Its name comes from the Greek word smaragdos meaning green gem. Emeralds from Columbia are generally considered the most valuable.
June
PEARLPearl
When thinking of the Pearl the color white usually comes to mind, but you can find pearls in black, gray, blue, yellow cream, lavender and mauve. When purchasing a Pearl you want to consider the surface, luster, color, and shape. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but there are many shapes of pearl.
July
RUBYRuby
The word Ruby is from the Latin ruber, meaning red. The ruby is pink-red in color. The Ruby is extremely hard, and second only to the diamond in hardness. The ruby is one of the four precious stones, along with sapphire, emerald, and diamond.
August
PERIDOTPeridot
Peridot is one of the few gemstones that occur in only one color, an olive green. The most valued color is a dark olive-green.
September
SAPPHIRESapphire
Sapphire is from the Greek word sappheiros, meaning blue stone. Although blue is the most well-known color for sapphires, sapphires are made up of any color of corundum except for red, which are rubies.
October
OPALOpal
97% of the world’s Opal is from Australia. Opals fluctuate in color and are often multi-colored. The most valuable is black.
November
CITRINECitrine
Citrine is a premier stone of manifestation, imagination, and personal will. Carrying the power of the sun, it is warm and comforting, energizing and life giving. It stimulates the chakras like the sunlight of spring, clearing the mind and stirring the soul to action.
December
BLUE TOPAZBlue Topaz
Blue Topaz is a stone of peacefulness, calming to the emotions, and ideal for meditation and connecting with spiritual beings. It is a natural magnifier of psychic abilities, assisting those who wish to attune to inner guidance, as well as those who serve others through readings or spiritual healing.
Metals
Precious Metals
Yellow Gold is an alloy made of a mixture of pure gold and either zinc and copper. The higher the karat amount, the more pure the gold.
Style Information:
- Has that classic “Gold” look
- Pairs great with Garnets and Diamonds
- Can be softer or easier to break depending on purity
Mohs Scale:
- 18k 2.8 hardness level
- 14k 3.5 to 4 hardness level
White Gold is a form of gold with a distinct pale white or cream color; its an alloy of gold and at least one white metal; either nickel, manganese, or palladium, which typically makes up approximately 10% of the alloy.
Style Information:
- Goes great with Diamonds
- Cheaper alternative to Platinum
- Commonly 9-1 gold to nickel
Mohs Scale:
- 18k 2.8 hardness level
- 14k 3.5 to 4 hardness level
Rose Gold has a “rose” tint from the gold-copper alloy that composes it. It is also known as “pink gold” and “red gold”, and historically was very popular in Russian, which has also earned it the name “Russian Gold”, though it is far and away most well known as Rose Gold.
Style Information:
- Highest Karat version is known as “Crown Gold”
- Pairs great with colored stones
- Currently trending
Mohs Scale:
- 18k 2.75 hardness level
- 14k 3 to 4 hardness level
Platinum is a metal that is incredibly resistant to corrosion, even at high temperatures. Apart from jewelry, Platinum is used in the treatment of cancer. Because of its white color, it will not cast any tinting on any stones that are used.
Style Information:
- An alternative to Silver, White Gold or Palladium
- One of the least reactive metals
- Heaviest of the precious metals
Mohs Scale:
- 4 to 4.5 hardness level
Palladium is a beautiful silvery-white metal that resembles Platinum. This metal has become much more valued in recent years and is used in a pure form in jewelry, and for combining with gold to form white-gold alloys. Because of its near white coloring, it will not cast any tinting on any stones it is used with.
Style Information:
- An alternative to Platinum or Silver
- Does not tarnish under normal conditions
- Used as an early treatment for tuberculosis
Mohs Scale:
- 4.75 hardness level
Silver is one of the cornerstone precious metals, silver has long been used in jewelry, currency, and investment bullion. It is extremely malleable and pairs beautifully with most stones.
Style Information:
- Silver has been used as early as 3000 BCE
- Very affordable
- Associated with the ability to stop paranormal creatures such as vampires or werewolves
Mohs Scale:
- 2.5 to 3 hardness level